Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

Schwarzenegger Pledges Veto of Budget; Override Expected

On Tuesday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) pledged to veto a budget plan in part because it lacked restrictions that he proposed for a state reserve fund, the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Yi, San Francisco Chronicle, 9/17).

The Legislature approved the proposal early Tuesday morning, but the plan was widely criticized for using accounting maneuvers to address the state's budget deficit (Zapler, San Jose Mercury News, 9/16).

The proposal approved by legislators calls for $7.1 billion in spending cuts and seeks to boost revenue by $9.3 billion by moving up deadlines for some tax payments, ending some tax loopholes and increasing state income tax withholdings for some Californians (California Healthline, 9/16).

Health care and education advocates were particularly critical of the budget agreement, arguing that it set the stage for deeper cuts to health care and education next year. Advocates for health care and education plan to rally today in hopes of urging lawmakers to re-open budget negotiations (San Jose Mercury News, 9/16).

According to the Los Angeles Times, the veto "is certain to cause anxiety" among health care clinics, adult day health care centers and other facilities that have not received payments from the state during much of the budget impasse (Halper/Rau, Los Angeles Times, 9/17).

California's fiscal year began on July 1 (San Francisco Chronicle, 9/17).

Veto Override

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) said that she was about "95% certain" that there was sufficient support in the Legislature to override the governor's veto (Wingfield/Scheck, Wall Street Journal, 9/17).

In response, Schwarzenegger said that he would veto hundreds of bills approved by the Legislature.

The Assembly has scheduled a vote to override the measure for Thursday (Mendel, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9/17). However, an aide to the governor said that Schwarzenegger would not veto the measure until Friday (San Jose Mercury News, 9/16).

Broadcast Coverage

Three radio programs included discussions of the budget plan. Headlines and links appear below.